The Sailors Family

I have had a thought rolling around in my head for some time about the intricacy’s of our existence.  Not an easy or small subject…someone should write a book ;-)  But for my two cents worth in a short blog, stay with me and here it is….i’ll try not to ramble…

I know it’s cliche to say that we are all woven together like a magnificent tapestry..or beautiful painting etc…choose your analogy…but it is very true…

There is no mistake to your existence and no mistake in your purpose once you are His.   Christ makes it clear that we are supposed to love the Lord your God ( if you have placed your faith in Him, if you have chosen not to meet with Jesus and give your will to Him continue to read and go to “Jesus” tab above) with all of heart, with all our souls and with all our mind and to love our neighbor as ourself.  There is more too, but that is a good place to start..

I was watching Lady in the Water tonight.  It’s a M. Night Shyamalan film.  The flick was good, a little less grounded in reality than usual, but good and entertaining… as I was watching this “fellowship” come together in the movie to over come evil, rescue the beauty (us ‘the world’ and the beauty in the movie) and then later, as I was watching some of the special features (which has me up at 2am writing, unusual for those that know I am an old fart that goes to bed at like 9) I begin to see the beauty and epic proportion that is the cast and crew of that movie (most any movie for that matter).

Seeing the director, producers, cinematographer, actors, etc…all work together as a well oiled machine, each bringing their own strengths, co-existing in a perfect harmony really was encouraging to me.   I was not encouraged at Burger King today…but that is another rant…

To the point, God wants to, and for some, has placed them in that type of fellowship where you know at some point something beautiful, something epic and something sacred will come out of it.  There are many sports teams that are this way…pick your analogy here… 

Anyhow, all of creation has an order…All things work together and for Good for those that Love the Lord..it’s beautiful to see and awesome to be a part of it….our existence is a cornucopia of intricacy’s and we a blessed to be a co-heir with Christ in creating them.

I’m tired…you get the point..intricacy, beauty, God, work together, order, creation, dance, cha-cha etc…

I was doing some work the other day on a letter and was thinking through some quotes about Christmas. A few came up that I really like as well as some new ones I found. Merry Christmas my friends!

When we were children we were grateful to those who filled our stockings at Christmas time. Why are we not grateful to God for filling our stockings with legs? ~G.K. Chesterton

I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round, as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys. ~Charles Dickens

There has been only one Christmas - the rest are anniversaries. ~W.J. Cameron

I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old, familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet
The words repeat
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled ’till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more. ~Dr. Seuss

People can’t concentrate properly on blowing other people to pieces if their minds are poisoned by thoughts suitable to the twenty-fifth of December. ~Ogden Nash

Best of all, Christmas means a spirit of love, a time when the love of God and the love of our fellow men should prevail over all hatred and bitterness, a time when our thoughts and deeds and the spirit of our lives manifest the presence of God. ~George F. McDougall

Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth. This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. And everyone was on his way to register for the census, each to his own city. Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, in order to register along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child. While they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. ~Luke 2:1-7

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. ~John 1:1-5

The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel -which means, God with us. ~Matthew 1:23

Enjoy your family this Christmas and the real meaning for this season, Jesus Christ!

2007 has been an awesome year. I am so thankful for Greg and Jackson and how God has taken such good care of us, providing for our needs physically but also financially, spiritually and relationally. There were times where money for ministry, bills, food needs or gas to get around was hard to come by, but without fail, enough would show up, sometimes down to the wire.

God’s provision for us has grown my faith enormously. I have no doubt that I can trust God to provide. However, when Greg received this call to be a missionary I was quiet anxious. I, like all other women, have a great need to feel provided for and protected. In the beginning of this journey as donor supported family missionaries, I was excited for what God was doing and excited at how much it was going to mean to Greg and bless our family. But, I was also wondering how it all was going to work. I knew God would provide but this is a much different feeling than having the same amount coming in financially every month with the same bills and needs etc… and know generally what Greg’s schedule is going to look like on a daily basis.  It’s not like that at all now.  Things have become quiet unpredictable.   We can make some plans financially or time wise for ministry and living cost but things change suddenly as needs for ministry or crisis arise.

I know it is cliché to say, “let go and let God,” but that really has been our story. I am amazed at the times when we have just had to turn it all over because that was the only thing to do. It really has been aggravating at times. Aggravating because I and we like to do it; liking to trust in oneself rather than allowing God to bring the increase or lead us through a situation. However, God has taught me over and over that He wants to walk with me and us in love through each thing. It really is about a relationship and not anything about religion. Sometimes it finances and other times it’s a conversation about Jackson or a talk about our future but it’s always a time to walk with God through every situation.

My desire for all who love and support us is that the blessing they give to us through their love, financial contribution, prayers and participation would be returned to them 10 fold and that their hearts would live victoriously in this supernatural epic story that God has set us in.

Please be praying for us in 2008. You can go to www.newwildernessadventures.com to see all that is going on but specifically pray for us and especially Greg as he goes to Nicaragua, as he leads in several Boot Camps and Father/Child and Family Adventures as well as the Guide Network and the every day coaching and counseling. God sees fit to continually grow His kingdom and He has placed us on the front lines. We need your love and support through prayer and financially!

Pray with me please!